The Trump Administration’s decision today to terminate Temporary Protective Status (TPS) for nationals of El Salvador will have detrimental effects on or communities in Virginia. The Commonwealth has the 5th largest population of TPS holders in the nation. There are approximately 20,000 Salvadoran adults and 19,000 children in Virginia, according to the Center for American Progress.
Terminating TPS for El Salvador is a reckless decision. TPS holders in Virginia don’t have other homes waiting for them somewhere else. This is their home. They are members of our communities.
VICPP continues to call upon Congress to open access to citizenship for our neighbors who call this country home. As the General Assembly begins the 2018 legislative session, Virginia should pass legislation to protect and empower all of our community members.
-Lana Heath de Martinez, Welcoming All Coordinator, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy